Improved cue-leather trimmer



N ultimi guientes gamut chillin.

LUTHER A. JOHNSON, H. W. COLLENDER, AND JAMES E. BOYLE, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.,

ASSIGNORS TO MICHAEL PHELAN, H. W. COLLENDER, AND'JAMES E. BOYLE, OF

SAME PLACE.

Letters Paten-t No. 94,317, datedAugust 3l, 1869.

`llIl/IIIPRQVED CUE-LEATHER TRIMMER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thelame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LUTHER A. JOHNSON, H. W. GoLLEnDnR, and JAMES E.BOYLF., of New York city, in the county of New York, in the State of NewYork, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines forrlrirnming Cue-Leathers; and wedo hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of thisapplication.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in machines for trimmingcue-leathers.

Previous to ourinvention it has been suggested t perform the trimming orcutting down of the leathers or tips of billiard-cues by means of amachine adapted to receive the end of the cue, and shave or cut down theleather into proper shape, and Letters Patent of the United States weregranted on the 4th day of May, 1869, to James E. Boyle for such amachine, in which the cue is turned or rotated within 'a holder or tube,

provided with one or more cutters or knives, which latter trim down theleather to the diameter of the cue without danger of loosening theformer, and it is suggested in and contemplated by the said LettersIa-tent, that iu lieu of turning the stick, the machine orcutting-mechanism may be turned.

Thevmachine described in the said Letters Patent, although embodying thesame principle embraced in our improved machine, sofar as confining theleather to or holding it toward the cue while being cnt, is subject tonumerous objections, on account of theknives not being formed so as toround over or chamfer on" the tips, the cost of manufacture, and itsinadaptability to be used in the hand conveniently.

To overcome these objections and provide a machine or implement whichshall be economic of manufacture, will round over the leather, and inevery way operate with greather expedition and facility, is the mainobject of' our invention, which consists in a cue-leather trimmercomposed of a simple tubular holder or handpiece, within which the cueis inserted,"provided with a single cutter or knife, adapted to shave orturn oit' the periphery of the tip, and simultaneously chamfer or roundover its edge, the whole so constructed and operating, that by holdingthe implement in one hand, and turning the one within it by the otherhand, the trimming up into perfect shape of the leather may beeiiiciently and expeditiously performed, as will be hereinafter morefully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use our improved machine,we will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same,referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures Il,2, and 3, plate 1, are elevation, end view, and longitudinal sectionofthe machine, and

Figures 1, 2, and 3, plate 2, are side and front elevations andlongitudinal section of a modification, in which the knife is attachedto a .spring-bai'.

In the several figures the same part is designated by the same letter ofreference.

At plate 1, A is a tubular holder, which we propose to make of about thesize and shape shown, of asuitf ably hard and tough wood. It is formedwith a cylindrical hole extending from one end through to near the otherend, which is cut away, as clearly shown, and is provided with cutter orknife B, which is secured by mea-nsofa screw, c, passing through a slot,d, in said knife, into the holder A, so that by loosening the saidscrew, the knife B can he setup or adjusted as it wears away.

The knife B, as seen, is so formed' that it will hook over the tip, andcut both `the periphery and round over toward the centre.

The holder A is slit-ted down, or a saw-kerf made in it at c, as shown,leaving the stock united near the but suiiiciently to avoid any.liability of the sever' ance of the parts, and so that the twoportions, each sidc of the slot c, maybe sprung toward each other, in

the directions indicated by the arrows.

F represents part of a billiard-cue with one of the -usual leathers ortips m on it, and inserted in the holder-tube A, ready to bc operatedupon.

'lbe operation of the machine is as follows:

Suppose the en d of a billiard-cue to be inserted as seen in thedrawings, the operator grasps the holder A -in one hand, while with theother hand he grasps and turns the cue F.

In the act of grasping and holding the tube A, the two parts are-sprun gtoward each other in such a mauner that one portion of A presses thecue-leather1and cue toward the other part, and against the knife B,which, as the cue is rotated, shavcs off the leather fm.

The stock of the holder at the edge 5, (see iig. 1,) where tbe wood iscut away, rests in contact with the periphery of the leather in advanceof the cutting-edge of knife B, and forms a stop, so that the knife, nomatter how hard the parts of A are pressed together, can only cut off ashaving of a given thickness, so as not to render liable the tearing offof the leather.

The greater part of the cutting is donc ou the pcriphery of the leathertmy, which is cut down until the stopy or plain part 2, (see figs. 2,3,) of the blade B comes in Contact with the cue F, 'but the hooked orbent-over portion ofthe knife also cuts some, and charnfers or roundsover the tip im As the cue is turned it is gently pressed endwise up inthe holder, so as to force the leather up against the stop-surface at i)l), (see iig. 3,) and also up against the ciu'ved part of knife B.

By means'of the machine described, operating as j ust explained, we areenabled .to very rapidly and perfectly trim the tips m down to the'diameter of the cue, andshapethern ready for the use of the player.

It will be seen that the machine just described may be very cheaplymanufactured, and will be very eflicientiand durable, and not liable toget out of order, or require adjustment.

Whenever the knife B is dull, it may be removed by taking .out the screw,and after having been sharpened, may be replaced yby any one withordinary judgment, so as to Work perfectly.. Y

At plate 2, in lieu of having a xed or stationary knife, and the tubeslotted, so as to spring together to force the leather against thecutting-surface, the holder A is made solid, and the knife B is attachedto the end of a-spring-bar, f, secured at its root by a screw, g, to thetube A, as clearly seen. I

In the operation of this modified form of machine, the'knife isl presseddown on to the cue-leather in lieu of the latter being forced up towardthe knife, as in the other form of the machine, the leather comes upagainst the stop-surface at 6(see iig. 3,) and theknife B is so shapedas to round over or chamfer oii the tip m.

We deem the form shown at .plate 1 to'be the best way of carrying outthe invention.

It may be found practical to curve the knife over far enough, and soconstruct it, that it will come against the apex of the cue-leather, andform the stop-surface, so that the stock of A could be bored `clearthrough,

but this would be of little advantage, and -a. ready means for theextrication of a tip, should one come olf, is provided in the slot e,plate 1, into which a knifeedge or wire may be inserted, to force thedisengaged leather down to the openend of tube A.

Having fully explained our invention, so that those skilled canunderstand it, and not wishing to be .nnderstood as laying any claim tothe broad principle or mode of operation common to both our improvedmachine and the machine patented to .James- E. Boyle,

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A cneleather trimmer, composed of a hand-tube or holder and acutting-blade or blades, adapted to bot-.h shave oif the periphery ofand round over or chamfer l `Witnesses: l

GaAs. A.- SCOTT, J. N. liIcIN'rIRE.

